and channing nominates, the 3, 4 or possibly 5 debate & ego expands when respected expert is of a similar opinion.

​Professional punter and worst dressed man in racing (his dress sense suggests he mugs teenagers for their awful t-shirts) Neil Channing, has laid his colours to the mast of Katate Dori in the Ultima as his best bet at the Cheltenham Festival. He has also lumped-on big on Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle on the belief that the odds short be far shorter than they are.

In today’s Racing Post, Chris Cook sets out the story behind the reasons for Cheltenham electing to increase the Festival from 3 to 4-days. It is a finely balanced example of how to write about a contentious issue without allowing the reader to know his own thoughts.
I was surprised the 4-day Festival was established as long ago as 2005, meaning that after 20-years some people are still prepared to voice their opposition to the 4-day Festival. Even those who still moan about the fourth-day must admit the decision was taken for all the right reasons. Jockey Club Estates needed to raise revenue; it was also a boost to the local economy, and it gave more owners, trainers and jockeys opportunity to have a Cheltenham winner. The decision seems to have been proved right, though many would disagree.
I was in favour of the fourth-day, though I wished they had kept the Gold Cup for the Thursday to allow the fourth-day to be come a day of reflection and for the racing channels and Channel 4, as it was at the time, to conduct a full analysis on the following day. I was also in favour when Cheltenham mooted the idea of a fifth-day, even though the majority thought it the maddest idea since care in the community.
Nowadays, with the smaller pool of top-class horses available, I believe the Festival should return to three-days, though I would like to see the races ejected from the Festival included in an expanded ‘Trials Day’ meeting at the end of January and rebranded as a ‘Spring 2-Day Festival’, though making sure no two races are the same as those run at the D.R.F.. I would particularly like to see a Champion Mares Hurdle as the centrepiece, allowing the best mares to run in both a Mares Hurdle at the ‘ Spring Festival’ and a Champion Hurdle in March.

It is always pleasing when someone far more knowledgeable and respected than oneself agrees with your thoughts on a particular subject. My reaction to Booster Bob winning at Newbury last Saturday was that I had just witnessed the ride of the season by Sean Bowen. The much used expression ‘came from a different parish’ hardly does the ride justice. Even Olly Murphy was of the opinion that Sean would have been within his rights to pull-up at halfway. The horse was last even coming into the straight, yet with rigorous riding but no over-zealous resort to the whip, Booster Bob ended-up a cosy winner. So, yes, I was greatly flattered when reading in today’s Racing Post Mark Holder’s take on Bowen’s tour-de-force.
Incidentally, I have come to admire Mark Holder’s content as he sees the sport from a different angle to most other commentators. He is more in the mould of Ruby Walsh than someone like Neil Channing or Paul Kealy, who I also admire. Kealy that is, not Channing. How can anyone admire a man who dresses like a teenager.